Tongue Tied
by Schlurp
Summary: Alice has a vision that leaves her with a fatal choice that could mean her death, or another's life: September 11, 2001. One-shot.


**A/N: M'kay. Second story up. I wrote this one a couple of months ago, and am not particularly pround of it. It seems pretty juvenile, if you ask me. But I'll let you form your own opinion. Anyone know where you can tell me your opinion? In a REVIEW. Yes, I did say REVIEW.**

Alice Cullen is a very talented girl. Not only does her mind have little extent in its knowledge, but also the extent of her ability has very few limits. An ability that could save so many, yet plagues her day and night. An ability that makes her mouth pop into a tiny _o_, and make her large, golden eyes become glassy while rolling over into a world that only she can see. An ability that makes every bone go rigid with untamed fear. An ability that terrified her so much that she ignored it when it was needed the most.

Her fingers gripped the delicate neck of the cold wolverine. Blood trickled out of the small incision that had been made with her teeth. Though she had done this for countless years, guilt still found its way into her empty veins whenever she stopped a heart, animal or not. Before she had found Carlisle, her ways of hunting had been savage and cruel. The human would step gladly into her thin arms when she beckoned so seductively. They would shiver when her icy lips found there way to a spot dangerously close to the jugular. Just a quick brush of her teeth against the skin would bring the hot liquid flowing out. So many she had taken . . .

But she had abandoned the past long ago. She had taken the hand of her soul mate, and run far away from it. Jasper was everything she needed; the rest of her uncompleted self. He kept her sane when the visions sickened her to the core. When they made her skin run even colder than it already was. His soothing whispers and tender caresses turned her mind towards happier and simpler thoughts. But the visions never left, no matter how many times he held and comforted her.

But on this regular hunting day, the vision crept upon her, and scared her more than anything else. The trees offered beautiful shade to her sparkling body. As she collapsed in the ancient roots of the oak tree, her thoughts traveled to humanity. For most, it was a beautiful memory. One they would treasure and cling to with eager fingers. But she hated every bit of humanity she had drunk in. Every minute had pierced her like a blade. The lonesome days spent on the asylum floor had drained her of every bit of happiness she had. Ridicule and fingers jabbed at her had made her bruised and frightened of even those who wanted to mend the wounds that had spread all over.

And when the worker took interest in her, it was as if a small shaft of light had been put above her aching head. He was a friend in a place where everyone was an enemy to each other. And though he was her friend, she had seen his differences. How he took careful steps to avoid the bits of sunlight that filtered through the bars in the tiny window. His beauty was hard to ignore in a crowd of frowns and angry stares. He had been happiness in a world where everything had been pulled away from her frail fingers. But the worst part was that the darkness had taken those few sweet memories from her.

Then it came.

The vision hit her hard in the stomach as she began to relax into the soft grass. Her throat constricted as the agonizing scene played before her. Terrified screams flooded the air as a plane hurtled towards the tall building. The nose hit the tough bricks as she cried out in pain. Smoke flew into the air as fire consumed the now crumbling building. Pedestrians stood frozen on the streets in fear. A second plane slammed into the wall of the building next to it. Scraps of bricks and building materials sailed into the air as the impact shook and pierced the side. The images suddenly stopped as Jasper crouched beside her trembling body. Her shrieks had brought him to her in a panicked state.

"Alice, darling, what happened?" he asked softly, not wanting to scare her.

"Oh, Jasper! Forgive me. I think I overreacted," she replied in the smoothest voice she could manage. Her emotions still gave her away.

"Alice, you aren't telling me something," Jasper observed. His flawless eyebrows were raised in disbelief.

"I saw a murder. The usual. That's all," she whispered.

He left willingly when she asked. She had a choice that needed to be made. She could tell the government, and reveal the secret her family had guarded for so long. It would mean most likely, being chased like a savage by humans with pitchforks and torches. But if she didn't tell, everyone on the plane would die. She would be a murderer if her lips stayed locked. She would be sacrificing the world they had built if she opened them. At that moment, Alice made her choice. She would have to let them all lose themselves to a fate they didn't want. Her body collapsed as she sunk further into the scratchy roots of the tree. Something inside her told her that she would regret the choice, but like the vision, she ignored it. That would be a mistake that would cost people their lives.

xx

She never left the meadow. Edward was also exponentially talented. It wouldn't take long for him to see what was chewing up the fragile balance of her mind. But long before Edward would even hear the faint whimpers of her suffering soul, Jasper would feel it. Deep within his core, he would know it. He knew better than anyone else of what she was thinking or feeling. So the only safe place to be was in solitude.

But being alone took a toll on such a person as Alice. More visions haunted her tormented mind as time progressed. She saw the sickening smirks of the men who would kill those people. Before the nose could create any sort of dent in the building, they would scream in victory. No form of regret would ever cross their malicious minds as they died. All they could think of was the lives that belonged to the passengers that would slip away so easily. A wicked smile would play across their lips when they knew that their mission had been fulfilled. She also heard every scream of every passenger. The grating, resounding noise would scrape at the corners of her mind. With each death of a passenger, she dug long, sculpted nails into her marble skin.

Then she heard the little girl cry.

On the top floor, a man would bring his daughter to work. She was six, and every parent's dream. Long blond ringlets of hair framing a cluster of freckles on her round face. She would be trapped above the crash, unable to escape the terrors beneath her feet. Tears would slide down her face as she watched the floor be consumed by fire, along with her father. As she listened and watched her most protective, loving parent die, her shrieks would resonate in Alice's mind. After hearing a girl no older than seven beg for death as fire crawled onto her skin, Alice felt death. Not in the child, but in herself. It was impossible not to think of when seeing something such as this. But somehow, she managed to stay alive in those two days of hell.

xx

It came. The planes collided into the walls of stone, the building was ravaged by fire, and the little girl burnt with it. All because Alice didn't let a few sentences drip from her lips.

But even if she lives until time ceases to exist, the memory will stain her, no matter how hard she rubs at the spot.

**A/N: So, what did you think? I thought that the idea of Alice seeing 9/11 was pretty cool, but that I didn't do it well. I'm just not satisfied with this one. Anyway, tell me what you thought! I don't care if it's hate or love. Just send it to me.**


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